My life as a young unknown author

Tag Archives: money

I’ve got weddings on the brain – mostly because of this hilarious video I found on YouTube.

So now not only do I want a wedding, but I also want some form of hilarious dance-off to happen.

But do I really want a wedding? Yes, I want the beautiful dress and a day with all my friends and family – but why not just throw a party?

I’m not religious, so there’s no white wedding in a church for me, but I do eventually want to get married.

But they cost so much money! A budget wedding is about £15K – I could buy cars and amazing gadgets, nice holidays, print books, buy software, dozens of expensive shopping sprees, and a few parties with all that money. So why spend it all on one day?

I don’t believe in the sanctity of marriage – I know I will probably get divorced (I’m just that sort of person), so it’s not a personal thing for me. In fact, getting married would probably cause more harm than good for me because I would have to argue being able to keep my last name.

So why do I want to get married? Because I want a marriage – not a wedding.

Screw the expensive wedding day, I’d rather buy a pretty dress for £80 or so, and have an amazing party with my friends. I’ll just get married at the registrar office on a Saturday afternoon with some witnesses and my beautiful (imaginary at this point) husband on my arm. What’s the point in spending all that money to make one day special, when you could use it to make the rest of your marriage special.

Plus, when you have a short marriage and end up divorcing; you won’t still be paying for the wedding after he’s upped and left you. (I’m not a cynic – honest!)

My head hurts all the time, I can never see and the light burns. I’m not a vampire – I’m a student with no NHS coverage.

The minute I turned 19 I lost out on free medication, free eye tests, free dental checks – everything.

And since then – I’ve had severe migraines because I can’t afford new glasses. I’ve got sensitive teeth and haven’t been to the dentist in over a year. And I had to turn down Beta-blockers from the doctor because I couldn’t afford the prescription.

I’m not falling apart, but I find it interesting that students aren’t privy to health benefits.

Once you turn 19 the UK, you are automatically cut off from NHS support. Obviously, you can still be treated in hospital and the like, but the every day stuff that you took for granted makes life that little bit more expensive.

Finance

Now, I have recently had the joy of re-applying for student finance for my final year at university. Upon applying, I found out that I am losing a significant amount of money in my third term because students supposedly go straight into full time work, and therefore do not need the extra money.

Let me tell you something – yes we do! I don’t know about any other students in the UK, but I have no one to support me financially. I’m literally out on a money limb.

I know some students have the comfort of knowing they can move back home after university and take their sweet time looking for a job, but some of us don’t have that option. My parents are as in-debt as I am and cannot afford to financially support another person.

Loans

According to a survey in 2012, the average UK adult can survive on £21,000 a year. UK students get given the maximum of £8,000 a year from Student Finance. And that is supposed to pay:

rent (average of £400 per month)

food

travel

personal supplies (clothes, shampoo, etc.)

university books

Yes – students have a reputation for living it a little too large come loan day, but that’s because we know the next day we have to say goodbye to our money and pay for the sensible stuff.

Yes – some of us good tighten the reigns a little. But we are students, and sometimes we aren’t receiving the day-to-day financial guidance that we might need.

Security

Students are always most likely to get robbed because people think we walk around with high-limit credit cards and can afford to lose it because “Daddy will pay the rent”. But it’s just not true. If I lost my cards – I’d be screwed. If my phone was stolen, I have no insurance. If my keys were taken, I wouldn’t be able to replace them. SO many people believe that students waste their money, but some of us have to work in order to put ourselves through university because our loans just don’t cover it.

What are you trying to say?

What I’m really trying to say is, the next time you think about judging a student – remember the pressure that is on them. Don’t berate them for going out on a Friday night once in a blue moon – they need to relax just like you.

But, if I want to stay in Canterbury after I graduate, become a famous author and be financially comfortable – I need more money.

Yes, I do get student loan: but I am a student – how money-savvy do you expect me to be? I spend way too much money on take-out, books, and clothes. I’m reckless with my wages from work, and they never last as long as they’re supposed to.

SO, I need to decide whether to get a second part-time job over the summer, OR to use that time to finish “Searching for Katherine” (my current novel), and start a new one, whilst upping the game on my uni work and doing my dissertation assignment early.

It’s a tough call, but it’s made me think about how much I waste my money.

We get our student loans on Tuesday and it has to cover the following:

Two months rent for my current house

Four months rent for my new house

The £5 I owe Alex

Me surviving over the summer

Ladies and Gentleman of WordPress – it’s not going to happen!

Luckily, I do get paid from my lovely job every month, so that should keep me eating over the summer, but I best say goodbye to my current poor-girl-spender lifestyle, and tighten my cute black waist belt.

Wish me luck, and have a great Easter weekend (you better be eating a truck-load of chocolate for me!)